Clothes wringer



Dec. 14, 1942.l A. H. c aERHARD'r CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Aug. 1e, 51959 3 sheets-sheet y1 vh MN. uw ww ATTORNEY.

A. H. GERHARDT Dec.l l, 1942.

CLOTHES WRI-MER 3 sheets-shet y2 Filed Aug, 16, 1959 LIP- INVOR. ndrew H 6er/wrdn ATTORNEY.

1, 1942. A. H. GERHARDT CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Aug; 1e, 1959 5 Sheets-Shee't 5 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

im rn w 6. M ,m H nn Patented Dec. 1, 1942 2,303,538 CLOTHES WRINGER Andrew H. Gerhardt, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Electric Household Utilities Corporation, Chi'- cago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 16, 1939, Serial No. 230,427

- 5 Claims.

This invention relates to power-operated, roll type clothes wringers, such as employed in connection with domestic type washing machines, and more particularly to reset and release mechanisms for the rolls of such wringers.

More specically, the present invention is directed to certain novel constructional features for facilitating resetting of the release mechanism in wringer structures, and for purpose of illustration, my novel reset mechanism is shown as applied to a wringer of the typedisclosed `in the United States Patent No. 2,209,423, issued to Simon E. Schroeder on July 30, 1940.

|One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and effective reset mechanism for controlling the release of the rolls of the wringer, and which reset mechanism is capable of being operated by a minimum amount of manual effort.

Another object is to provide a novel manually operated reset mechanism for the release mechanism of a wringer of the type wherein spring means is utilized to maintain the cooperating rolls under pressure, under restraint of manually operated latch means, and wherein the wringer is made self-releasing, subject to operation oi said latch means under the control'of theattendant, by utilizing the power exerted by the spring means for actuating said release means.

A further object is to provide a novel 'manually operated reset mechanism for therelease mechanism of a wringer of the type wherein manually operated control means is employed to place the cooperating rolls under spring tension and held in such relation by manually operable latch means, said reset mechanism being operable entirely independently of said latch means and said manually operated control means.

Other objects and advantages of 'the present invention will be apparent in the following'description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section through the central portion of the wringer structure provided with reset mechanism constituting the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken View similar to Fig. l on an enlarged scale showing the latching and reset mechanism at the upper portion of the Wringer.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially as indicated at line 3-3 on Fig.y l.v

Figs. e and 5 are transverse, vertical sectional views taken substantially as indicated at lines 4-4 and 5 5, respectively, on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is aview similar to Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale showing the latching elements in releasing or withdrawn position.

Fig. 7 is atop plan view ofa slide plate which forms part of the locking and releasing mechanism for the wringer rolls.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a sliding latch plate.

The wringer structure, selected for purpose of illustration in the drawings, includes a main or bottom frame A and a top orauxiliary frame B, together with top and bottom rollsC and'D, respectively. Said top and bottom rolls C and D are carried respectively by the top and vbottom frames B and A, as hereinafter more fully described. Y

Thev main frame A comprises a channel beam member 20 and hollow upstanding Vposts 2| and 22 at opposite sides of the frame fiXed to the channel beam member 29. y member 20 is in the-form of a heavy sheet metal stamping open at the bottom and having ahorizontally disposed top wall, spaced front and rear walls, and spaced Vertical side or end walls. 'I'he posts 2| and 22 are hollow, the post 2| forming the head of the wringer and containing the driving gear mechanism thereof.V -Each post 2| and 22 is provided with inner and outer side walls 23 and 21|. A guard plate 2-5 is mounted on the inner side of each post 2| and 22, the same being secured to the corresponding wall 23. Each guard plate 25 has a flange for directing the water inwardly to be received by a tiltable drainboard 25 beneath the bottom roll D. The drainboard 25 is tiltable vin reverse directions to disv charge onto fixed drainboards 27-27 at opposite sides of the frame A, as shown in Fig. 3.

The post 2| has an opening 28 in the outer side wall 24 thereof, which is closed by a platelike casting 29, which serves as a bearing support for a controlling lever 39 for stopping and starting operation of the wringer andoperating certain other mechanism, as hereinafter pointed out. The top of the post 2| is partly closed by a supporting and bracing plate 3|, which fits within the post 2| kand is secured to the front, rear, and outer side walls thereof. The inner edge of the plate 3| is spaced from the inner side wall 23`of `-the post 2|, as clearly shown in Fig.' 1. The plate 3| and the top wall of the channel beam Ymember 2|) have aligned openings 32-32, which accommodate a vertically disposed tubular sleeve 33. The sleeve 33 snugly ts these openings, which are ilanged outwardly, and is fixed to the plate 3| andthe beam 2U, respectively.. 4A bearing bracket 3B `is iiXed to the lefthand side of the The channel beam sleeve 33, as viewed in Fig. l. This bracket 34, together with the sleeve 33, serves as means for housing the driving gearing for the wringer. The sleeve 33 projects beneath the beam 20 and .is adapted to telescope over the upper end portion of the usual vertically arranged hollow standard of a washing machine having a vertically disposed shaft therein operatively connected to and rotated by the driving elements of the washing machine in a well known manner. The shaft of the hollow standard extends upwardly beyond the standard and a considerable distance into the hollow tubular sleeve 33 and is coupled to the gearing of the wringer by a splined or similarconnection. The top portion of such a shaft is indicated by 35 in Fig. 1 and is connected to the gearing of the Wringer, as hereinafter briefly described.

The frame B is preferably a heavy sheet metal stamping in the form of a channel member closed at opposite ends and open at the bottom. The frame B is telescoped over the upper ends of the posts 2| and 22 of the frame A, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1, and forms in effect a cap or cover closing the top of the wringer. The frame B carries a pair of depending bearing struts 35-36, in which the top roll C is rotata ly supported.

The main frame A also carries spring tension or yielding pressure means for the roll C of the frame B. This spring tension or pressure means comprises a leaf spring 31 and connecting slide bars or plates 38-38 anchored to opposite ends of the leaf spring. The leaf spring 31 is disposed below the bottom roll D in the opening of the channel beam member 20. This spring is relatively thick at the center and tapered toward its opposite ends, and is supported at the central portion thereof by a clip 39, which is adjustably mounted on the channel beam member of the frame A. The clip 39 is adjustably connected to a supporting plate or brace 40, which is iixed to the front and rear walls of the channel beam 20. An adjustment nut 4| cooperating with a screw 42 forms the adjustable connection between the plate 43 and the clip 39. As will be evident, when the nut is turned, the clip 39 will be adjusted either upwardly or downwardly, depending upon the direction of `rotation of the nut, thereby effecting corresponding adjustment of -the leaf spring 31. The connecting slide bars 38-3-8 are located at opposite ends of the leaf spring 31 and have hooked lower ends 43-43, which are engaged beneath the extremities of the leaf spring. Each connecting slide bar 33 is limited in its downward movement by a set screw 44 threaded in a platelile section of a supporting bracket 45 fixed to the inner sides of the front and rear walls of the channel beam member 20 at the corresponding side of the wringer. The set screw 44 engages the hooked end 43 of the bar 3S and serves as an adjustable stop or abutment for determining the lower limit of movement of said connecting bar 38. As most clearly shown in Fig. 8, each connecting slide bar 38 is slotted at the upper end portion thereof. as indicated at 45. The slot 45, which is closed at both ends, has the upper end portion thereof laterally enlarged, as indicated at 41, to accommodate the engaging end portion of a locking bar, hereinafter more fully described. The upper ond of each connecting slide bar 38 is bent outwardly, as indicated at 48, said outwardly bent portion being locatedat the upper end of the slot of said bar. The top wall of the widened portion 41 of the slot is inwardly beveled or inclined, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 8, to prop- 4erly cooperate with the end of the locking bar hereinbefore referred to. The connecting slide bars 38-38 are guided in their movement by pins 49-49 fixed to the main frame A. The guide pin 49 for the connecting slide bar 30 at the righthand side of the wringer, as viewed in Fig. l, is xed to an upstanding flange on the inner side of the plate 3| of the post 2| and is engaged within the slot 45 of the bar 38. The guide pin 49 of the connecting slide bar 38 at the lefthand side of the wringer, as viewed in Fig. l, is directly connected to the outer side wall 24 of the post 22. The guide pins 49--43 are headed so as to prevent accidental disengagement of the connecting slide bars 38-30 therefrom.

The top and bottom rolls C and D are of the usual rubber-surfaced type employed in powerdriven wringers. Each roll is supported on a shaft xed thereto, which rotatably mounts the roll. The shaft of the top roll C is indicated by 50 and the shaft of the bottom roll D is indicated by 5|. As clearly shown in Fig. l, each roll shaft projects from opposite ends of the roll and is engaged in suitable bearing elements. A clip, in the form of a plate |00 is interposed between each guard plate and the corresponding ends of the rolls C and D. Each plate |00 is provided with an opening |0| at the bottom portion thereof, through which the corresponding end of the shaft 5| of the roll D extends. The .upper portion of each plate |00 is slotted, as indicated at |02, to accommodate the corresponding end of the shaft 50 of the roll C. The slots |02|02 of the plates M- |00 are open at their upper ends to permit insertion of the shaft of thc roll C and are of such a length as to permit vertical movement of the plates M30- |00 with the roll D without interference by the shaft 50 of the roll C. The clips or plates |00 serve as abutments for taking the end thrust of the rolls C and D and hold the rolls against endwise displacement. The bottom roll D, which is disi placeable vertically to engage the roll C, has the opposite ends of the shaft 5| thereof rotatably journaled in bearing blocks 52--52. The bearing blocks 52-52 are open at thetop and are lined with bushings of semi-circular cross-section, in which the ends of the shaft 5| are directly supported. The projecting end of the shaft 5| at the righthand side of the Wringer, as viewed in Fig. l, is connected to a driving gear 53 by a flexible coupling 54. The gear 53 is journaled in the bracket 34 and is driven by a shiftable gear element 55 having bevel gear members at opposite ends for driving the gear 53 in either right or lefthand direction. The shiftable gear element 55 is rotatable with the shaft 35, being slidingly mounted on the splined portion thereof. Shifting of the gear element 55 is effected by the controlling lever or handle member 3|), which is operatively connected to said gear element 55 by a shifting link 56.

The bearing blocks 52-52 for the roll D are movably arranged beneath the struts 33-35 of the frame B. Each block 52 is guided between the inner side Wall 23 of the corresponding post and the connecting bar 38 at the same side of the wringer. The bearing blocks 52-52 are carried by movable supporting means through which the blocks are raised and lowered so as to eifect raising and lowering of the bottoni roll D to force the latter against the top roll C and withdraw the same therefrom. This supporting means comprises links 51-51 pivotally connected at their upper ends to the blocks 52-52, and a bar 58 connectingthe lower ends of the links for movement in unison. The bar 53 and the links 51-51 are supported for sliding movement on the top wall of the channel beam member 26. 'I'he bar 58 is moved from right to left, as viewed in Fig. 1, to raise the roll D, and in a reverse direction to lower the same. The raising action is effected by operation of the control lever 36, suitable connecting means being employed to transmit the motion from the lever to the slide bar 58. Return or restoring movement of the slide bar 58 to lower the roll D is effected by spring means 59 reacting between xed abutment means on the main frame A and a depending abutment on the slide bar 56. The motion of the slide bar 58 in its return movement is' communicated to the lever 36 by the connecting means hereinbefore referred to, thereby also effecting restoration of the controlling lever to neutral position.

The drive gearing, gear shift mechanism, and raising and lowering means for the bottom roll D, hereinbefore brieiiy described, are fully and completely disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,209,422, issued to Simon E. Schroeder, July 30, 1940, and 'it is believed that no further detailed description-thereof is necessary for a clear understanding of the structure and operation thereof, as reference may be had to said patent. However, it might be pointed out that the raising of the roll D is manually effected by the control lever 30 when the latter is moved to either side of neutral position by the attendant in shifting the gear element 55 to start the operation of the wringer; that the raising means after having brought the roll D intooperative engagement with the roll Cis held in said raised position by the pressure between the rolls as long as the pressure is maintained; that return of the roll D to lowered position is automatically effected by the action of the spring 53 immediately upon the pressure between the rolls being broken through release of the mechanism; and that the controlling lever is also returned to neutral po-' sition automatically through the return moveafter more fully described, which locking bars serve to lockthe frame B and the top roll1C carried thereby in operative position with respect to the bottom roll D of the Wringer. Each strut 36 also carriesa combined guard and guide hook member 63 at the top end thereof. The guard and guide hook member 63 is in the form of a plate having the -main body portion. thereof fixed to the strut and the hook portion thereof extending laterally from the strut and overhanging the upper end of the corresponding connecting slide bar 38. As shown most clearly in Fig., 1, each combined. guard and guide hook member 63 has the main body portion thereof secured over the slot 6| of the corresponding strut 36,

. and said platelike body portion forms the upper ment of the raising and lowering mechanism by n the spring 59. Y

The opposite ends of the shaft 53 of the top roll C are rotatably supported in the struts 36-36 carried by the frame B. The struts 36-36, which are in the form of castings, are disposed within the opening of the frame B between the front and rear Walls thereof. As shown most clearly in Fig. l, the struts 36-36 are mounted on the frame B so that they are located at opposite ends of the top roll C and respectively occupy the space between the inner wall of the post 2l and the corresponding connecting bar 38 and the space between the inner wall of the post 22 and the corresponding connecting bar 33.y Each strut 36 has an opening between the top and bottom ends thereof, which is provided with abearing bushing rotatably receiving and supporting the corresponding end of low portion of the top frame B, are horizontally slotted, as indicated at 6|6l, to form supporting guideways for-locking bars. 62--62 herein-y wall of the guideway for the locking bar 62. The combined guard and guide hook members 63-63 face downwardly and have outwardly bent extremities and serve to properly engage the upper ends of rthe connecting slide bars 38-38 with the locking bars 62-62 of the combined locking and latch means and hold these parts engaged.

The combined locking and latch means for locking the frame B to the frame A is mounted on the frame B and is arranged so as to provide for quick and easy release thereof when desired by the operator, thereby electing complete disengagement of the locking means and permitting lifting of the frame B and the top roll C carried thereby' and entire removalof these parts from the wringer. The operation of the combined latch and locking means, which includes the bars 62-62, is controlled by a manually actuated hand-piece or slide 64 mounted in the frame B. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, the slide 64 is mounted for horizontal movement in guide openings or slots 65-65 provided inthe front and rear walls respectively of the frame B. As shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, the openings 65-65 are-anged inwardly around their edges so as to form ample guide surfaces. The slide 64 comprises a pair of hand-pieces 66-66 extending from opposite sides of the auxiliary frame B, and a central longitudinally extending bar 61 parallel to the hand-pieces 66-66, and transverse connecting plates 68-69 and 68-69 at opposite ends thereof secured to the hand-pieces 66-66 and the central bar 61. Each hand-piece 66 is in the form of a hollow channelshaped member closed at opposite ends and open at the inner side. The plates of each pair 68-69 have their outer ends fixed to the top anges or webs of the hand-pieces 66-66 l respectively. The inner ends of said pair of plates 68-69 are xed to the corresponding end of the bar 61 by rivets or any other equivalent securing means.V The pairs-ofplates 68-69 and 68--69 have upstanding .stop lugs 10-16 at opposite sides of the slide 64, which are adapted to engage with the front and rear walls of the auxiliary or top frame B to restrict lateral outward movement of the slide 64 with respect to said frame B. Each plate 69er the slide 64 is provided with a set of cam facesH-Tl which are reversely'inclined and are adapted to cooperate with a slide frame 12, as hereinafter described. The outer ends of the lockingbars 6'2-62 are beveled, as indicated at 62a,tofacilitate movement into yand out of the ieveled or inclined portionof the slide ybars The\slide 12, as most clearly shown in Figs;

2, 4, 5, and 7, is in theform `of an arched plate auxiliary frame B for sliding movement against the inner surface thereof, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, and is formed with a relatively large, elongated central opening 13 and depending marginal side fianges 14-14. Said fianges are provided with two pair of oppositely disposed apertures 15, and projecting into said apertures are rounded nubbins 16 of guide toggle links 11-11-.11-1'L the opposite ends of each of said links being pivotally connected at 18, to a support bracket 19 which. as may be seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, has a pair of upturned ends brazed to the underside of the top of the auxiliary frame B. Said bracket 19 is in the form of an elongated bar, dimensioned to project down into the opening 13, formed in the saddle 12, and permitting adequate amount of unhampered movement of said saddle by application of pressure on either of hand-pieces 66-66. By virtue of the toggle links 11-11-11-11, the saddle or slide 12 is maintained in parallelism during its longitudinal movement in the process of releasing the locking bars 62-62, as hereinafter described. Connected to the respective pairs of pivots 18 and the bracket 19, for assisting in supporting the toggle links 11-11-11-11, are bars 88-88, each of which is formed at its outer extremity with a depending lug 88a, only one of which is utilized as hereinafter described, the bars 88-80 being made identical for simplicity and economy in manufacture.

The saddle member 12 is provided with two depending cam fingers 8|-8|, which are formed as a part of brackets 82-32, riveted to the underside of the saddle or slide 12. These cam fingers are positioned in cooperative engagement with the cam faces 1|-1I of the plates 69-69 which form a part of the unitary slide 6-1 so that lateral movement of said slide, by pressure against either of the hand-pieces 66-66, causes the cam faces 1|-1| to act upon the cam fingers 8|-8| and thereby move the saddle or slide 12 longitudinally a predetermined amount for effecting release of the locking bars (i2- 62, as will presently be described. Connected to each of the cam fingers 8|-8I is a tension spring 83, the opposite end of which is connected to a depending lug 69a of the adjacent plate 69, so as to permit yielding longitudinal movement of the saddle or slide 12 by pressure on either of the hand-pieces 66-|6, and cause return movement of said saddle upon release of pressure on said hand-pieces. The saddle 12 is also provided with a depending keeper member 85 riveted to the underside thereof and formed with a lug 86, which is adapted to cooperate with a keeper-engaging finger or latch member 88.

The supporting bracket 19 is formed with a centrally located depending offset portion 89 on which the latch finger 88 is pivotally supported for rotary movement, said latch finger being formed with an elongated slot for snugly mounting on a fiattened elongated portion 9|]Bl of a vertically disposed stub shaft 90 which, in turn, is journaled in the offset portion 89 of the bracket 19, and in the top wall of the auxiliary frame B, as seen in Fig. 2. The latch finger 88 is confined in the lower end of said shaft portion 90a by a cotter pin 90", and rigidly attached to the upper end of said shaft 90 is an elongated, blocklike hand-piece 9|, for resetting the latching mechanism after being released by pressure on either of hand-pieces 66-66 or by actuation of bar 61, as hereinafter described. For purposes of appearance and convenience, the top surface 1 position :locking bar 62.

of the auxiliary frame B is formed at opposite ends with elongated embossments B'-B' so as to produce a depression in which the elongated hand-piece 9| is seated. In the normal latched of the locking bars 62-62, the handpiece 9| is disposed in parallel alignment with the embossments B'-B' and when the locking bars 62-62 have been released by actuation of either of the hand-pieces 66-66, or bar 61 as above described, said hand-piece 9| rotates a slight angular amount so as to permit convenient engagement by the hand of the attendant for re-alignment of said hand-piece 9| with the embossments B'-B, which action resets the latching mechanism by causing rotation of the the locking bars with the latch latch finger 88 and reprojects 62-62 into locking engagement plates 38-38.

A coil spring 92 is connected to the lug 8|)a of one of the bars 80 and at the other end to a laterally projecting lug 93 of the latch finger 88 for normally urging said latch finger in clockwise direction with respect to the showing in Fig. 6. The shank portion 94 of the latch finger is in the form of a link member connecting the inner ends of the locking bars 62-62. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 6, the latch engaging portion of the latch finger 88 extends atan angle to the shank portion 94 and has a head 95 at the outer end thereof formed with a hook projection 96, which is adapted to hook over the keeper 86 of the saddle 12. The lefthand end of the shank 94 of the latch finger 88, as seen in Figs. 3 and 6, is pivotally connected to the inner` end of one of the locking bars 62-62 by a pivot pin 98. Near the opposite end, the shank 94 of said finger is pivotally connected by a pivot member 99 to the other locking bar 62. 'I'he two locking bars 62-62 are thus operatively connected by the shank 94, with the shank portion forming a connecting link,

As above described, the latch finger 88 is yieldingly urged in clockwise direction with respect to the showing in Fig. 6, by the action of spring 92, and the swinging movement of said finger, when released, is arrested with the locking bars 62-62 in disengaged position, as seen in Fig. 6, by encounter of the hook end 96 of the latch finger with an abutment B2b on lthe adjacent As previously mentioned, to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the locking bars 62-62 with the connecting slide bars 38-38 of the spring mechanism, the outer ends of the bars 62-62 are beveled, as seen in r the drawings.

When the frame B is locked to the main frame A, the latching mechanism assumes a position substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In such position, the locking bars 62-62 are positively held in latching engagement with the connecting bars 38-38 of the spring mechanism, due to engagement of the latch finger 88 with the keeper 86 of the sliding saddle member 12. As will be evident, the springs 83 tend to yieldingly maintain the saddle member 12 in a position with the keeper 86 interlocked with the latch finger 88. In the operation of the wringer, the bottom roll D is raised upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 and yieldingly forced against the top roll C. The pressure exerted by the roll D against roll C raises the latter, thereby raising the struts 36-36 and the connected parts of the frame B, together with the connecting slide bars 38-38, which are at that time locked to the auxiliary frame B bythe locking bars 62-62a Theleafspring31 will thus be exed by the upward pull of the connecting bars 38-38 thereon, placing the, rolls C and D under yielding spring pressure.

During the operation of the wringer, the rolls vwill be separated by the articles passing therebetween, thereby placing'the leaf spring 3l under additional tension. To release the auxiliary frame together with its roll C in case of emergency, or when it is found desirable to do s for any other reason, the attendant pushes the slide 54 to either side of the position shown in Fig. 3 by exerting pressure on one of the hand-pieces Sii- 68, thereby camming the saddle member 'l2 to the right of the position seen in Fig. 3, which causes the keeper 85 to be displaced beyond the hook end 93 of .the latch finger 88, thereby disengaging said latch nger to permit free swinging -movement thereof under iniluence of the spring 82, which is augmented by the force reacting between the beveled outer ends of the locking bars 52-82 and the inclined abutment faces of the connecting bars 153-38, which causes said locking bars to be Withdrawn until they are freed from the slide bars 38-38, as. seen in Fig. 6, such action causing the reset hand piece 8i to be moved out of line with the embossments BB'. Due to the downward pull produced by the tension of the leaf spring 37, the slide bars .E8-38 are drawn downwardly a su'icient distance to clear the ends of the locking bars 62-62 fro-m the latch openings of the slide bars 38-38. As will be seen from a perusal of Fig. 6, which shows the slide 64 displaced to one side, the locking bars 62-62 when moved inwardly free of the connecting slidebars 38-38, permit swinging of the latch finger S3 to a position where its hooked end 86 engages the stop pin 62a. yIt will be apparent that after the saddle 'l2 has been actuated to release the keeper 86 from the latch finger 88, said keeper, by reason of its rigid connection to the saddle will, upon release of pressure on either hand-piece 655-66, be immediately restored to normal position, as seen in Fig. 3, due to the action ofthe springs 33-83. Such release movement of the locking bars 82-82 and latch nger 83 causes rotation of the stub shaft 98 and disposes reset hand-piece 9i at a slight acute angle with respect to its normal position of adjustment.

In such a condition of adjustment of the latching mechanism, the auxiliary frame B is totally unlocked from the main frame A and the attendant may entirely withdraw said auxiliary frame from the main frame A if desired. To recondition the latching mechanism for locking the auxiliary frame B to the main frame A, the attendant merely grasps the reset hand-piece 9| and rotates it clockwise a slight amount to align same with the embossments B-B at the top of said auxiliary frame; Such adjustment, due to the connection of the stub shaft 98 with the latch finger 88, rotates said latch nger in counterclockwise direction with respect to the showing in Fig. 6 to cause the arcuate surface of the head 95 of said finger to cam against the keeper 86 of the saddle member 'l2 untilthe hook end 96 is disposed at a position to operatively latch against the outer surface of said keeper, as seen in Fig. 3. This action obviously tensions spring 92 and simultaneously causes projection of the locking bars 62-62 into cooperative engagement with the openings formed in the slide bars :iS- 38.y

Furthermore, this action will be assisted by the guide hooks E53-63, which cam the upper end s of the slide bars 38-38 inwardly, During this action,` the hooks 63-63 may yield slightly in an i upward direction to permit the beveled ends of the locking bars 62-62 t0 be properly engaged in the openings of said slide bars 38--38- When the parts have thus been engaged, the combined guard and hookmembers-6363 serve to effectively hold theupper ends rofV the slide bars $8- 38 against spreading, thereby maintaining the same in interlocked relation with the bars 62-62. The operation of the reset hand-piece 9| requires relatively little manual effort, and does not result in placing-the rolls C and D under placed on the cooperating beveled faces of the locking bars 62-82 and slide bars 33-38- In the event of an emergency, such as when the wringer rolls become jammed or'whenl an article becomes accidentally wound about the rolls, theattendant may instantly release the pressure on the rolls by applying slight pressure to either handpieces dii-66 of the slide 64, which action, as above described, effects a Withdrawal of the locking bars {i2- 62, and which action is positive and instantaneous-due to the enormous pressure exerted between the engaging beveled faces of the locking bars 62-62 and the connecting slide bars 38-38- Such structure results in providing a self-releasingv action operable under the control of the attendant who merely dlsengages the restraining means for the locking bars 62-82, which includes the keeper 88 and latch nger 88.

-In the wringer structure herein illustrated, provision is also made for automatically unlocking the auxiliary frame B from the main frame A when the wringer rolls become jammed due to an article being wound around the top roll. As mayk be seen in the drawings, thebar 8l is located in close proximity to Vthe top of the upper roll .C so that an article accidentally Wound about said roll y frictionally engages said bar and thereby moves the bar together with the slide 64, to which it is rigidly connected, in a lateral direction, such lateral movement of the slide 611 effecting release of the latching mechanism in the manner as above described in connection with the exertion of pressure on either hand-piece Sii-66.

Although my improved reset mechanism has been herein illustrated in connection with a specific form of wringer structure, it will be evident that said reset mechanism is capable of modication and variation as well as adaptation to other types of wringer structures. Therefore, itis to be understood that the present embodiment of my invention is merely illustrative, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting said invention to the precise form herein disclosed, except as it may be so limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wringer, the combination of a frame structure including a main frame and an auxiliary frame; a pair of cooperating rolls carried by the frame structure; connecting members carried on the main frame; a spring on the main frame exerting a yielding downward pull on said members; locking bars on said auxiliary frame; manually actuated reset means for projecting said locking bars; latch means for holding the locking bars projected; keeper means on the connecting members engageable by the locking bars in projected position for locking the auxiliary frame to the main frame; and spring means tending to withdraw the locking bars from projected position upon release of said latch means.

2. In a wringer, the combination of a frame structure including a main frame and an auxiliary frame; a pair of cooperating rolls carried by the frame structure; connecting members carried on the main frame; a spring on the main frame exerting a yielding downward pull on said members; locking bars on said auxiliary frame; manually actuated reset means for projecting said locking bars; latch means for holding the locking bars projected; keeper means on the connecting members engageable by the locking bars in projected position for locking the auxiliary frame to the main frame; manually operable means, independent of said reset means, for releasing said latch means; and spring means tending to withdraw the locking bars from projected position upon release of said latch means.

3. In a wringer, the combination of a frame structure including a main frame and an auxiliary frame; a pair of cooperating rolls carried by the frame structure; connecting members carried on the main frame; a spring on the main frame exerting a yielding downward pull on said members; locking bars on said auxiliary frame; manually actuated rest means for projecting said locking bars; latch means ing bars projected; keeper means on the connecting members engageable by the locking bars in projected position for locking the auxiliary frame to the main frame; manually operable means, independent of said reset means for releasing said latch means; spring means tending to withdraw the locking bars sition upon release of said latch means; and separate spring means serving to yieldingly oppose movement of said releasing means.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a frame structure including a main frame and an auxiliary frame; a pair of cooperating rolls carried by the frame structure; a spring on said main frame; movable locking bars on and enclosed in said auxiliary frame; releasable latch means for holdfor holding the lockfrom projected poing said bars projected; connecting members with which said projected bars are held interlocked, said connecting members being anchored to said spring to yieldingly oppose movement of said auxiliary frame; manually operated means for releasing said latch means from holding engagement with respect to said bars, said locking bars and connecting members having camming engagement with each other tending to effect release of said bars when the latch means is released; manually operable reset means for reprojecting said locking bars into interlocking engagement with the connecting members and simultaneously resetting said latch means; and spring means, operable upon release of said latch means for assisting the withdrawal of said locking bars from projected posltion.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a frame structure including a main frame and an auxiliary frame; a pair of cooperating rolls carried by the frame structure; a spring on said main frame; movable locking bars on and enclosed in said auxiliary frame; releasable latch means carried on and enclosed in said auxiliary frame for holding said bars projected; connecting members with which said projected bars are held interlocked, said connecting members being anchored to said spring t0 yieldingly oppose movement of said auxiliary frame; manually operated means for releasing said latch means from holding engagement with respect to said bars, said locking bars and connecting members having camming engagement with each other tending to eiectrelease of said bars when the latch means is rer leased; spring means directly connected to the latch means and operable upon release of said latch means, for assisting the withdrawal of said locking bars from projected position; said latch means including a lever, pivotally mounted in the auxiliary frame land having opposite portions pivotally connected to the inner ends of said locking bars for controlling simultaneous movement thereof; and manually operable reset means including an externally accessible hand-piece positively connected to said lever for rotating same to reproject the locking bars into interlocking engagement with the connecting members and simultaneously resetting the latch means.

ANDREW H. GERHARDT. 

